Diaper rinse device



Jan. 24, 1961 Filed July 21, 1959 A. V. FROHNAPEL ETAL DIAPER RINSEDEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS. ZAP/[EH65 E Maw.

HTIWRJYEYI Jan. 24, 1961 A. v. FROHNAPEL EI'AL 2,968,938

DIAPER RINSE DEVICE Filed July 21, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United StatesPatent DIAPER RINSE DEVICE Alvah V. Frohnapel, Detroit, and Lawrence E.Welch, vgvrand Rapids, Mich.; said Ihohnapel assignor to said elch FiledJuly 21, 1959, Ser. No. 828,656

4 Claims. (Cl. 68--205) This invention relates generally to diaperrinsing devices.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a diaper rinsingdevice that can be set upon a toilet bowl and be water power operated byconnection to a water faucet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a diaper rinse device of acharacter such that the water power of the water enroute to rinse thediaper is utilized to rotate a wire basket containing the diaper toenhance the rinsing operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive diaperrinse device of a size that can be stored in the average size bathroomfor convenient use.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the followingdetail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

Fig. l is a perspective view of certain fixtures of a bathroom andshowing our diaper rinse device connected for operation to the basinfaucet;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the diaper rinse device;

Fig. 3 is a vertical view partly broken away and in section of a pumpand associated structure of the diaper rinse device;

Fig. 4 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section, taken alongthe line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in elevation of certain details of thediaper rinse device, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a control valve of the rinse device.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference there is shown inFig. 1 our diaper rinse device designated in general by the numeral 20.As illustrated, the diaper rinse device 20 is adapted to seat on theupper flange of the conventional toilet bowl 22 and connected by meansof a hose 24 to a faucet 26, such as the faucet of a wash bowl 28.

The diaper rinse device 20 includes a housing 30 that is preferablycylindrical in shape and at the bottom thereof has a reduced cylindricaldischarge end 34 to project downwardly into the toilet bowl 22.Ontwardly of the cylindrical discharge end 34 of housing 30 andextending therearound is an annular seat 36 to rest on the upper flangeof the toilet bowl 22. The upper end of the housing 30 has an accessopening closable by a cover 38 which preferably has a gasket 40.

Mounted within the housing 30 adjacent the bottom thereof is a body orcasing 42 which is mounted by radially spaced brackets 44 on the annularseat 36. The casing 42 contains a water wheel 46 having a hub 48 towhich are integrally secured a number of radially spaced blades 50. Asseen in plane view, the casing 42 is circular in shape having anintegral hollow boss 52 tangential to the casing to provide a waterinlet thereto. A p'pe 54 connected to the hollow boss 52 extends throughthe side of housing 30 for connection by hose 24 to the faucet 26, asshown in Fig. 1.

In alignment with and below the hub 48 of the water wheel 46, the casing42 has a downwardly directed hollow boss 56 providing a water outlet 58.The boss 56 projects downwardly into the reduced discharge end 34 of thehousing 30, and controlling the outlet 58 is a valve, designatedgenerally by the numeral 60. The valve 60 includes a body 62 having avertical flow passage or bore 64 therethrough which is in communcationwith the water wheel casing 42 such as by a threaded connection with thehollow boss 56. Extending across the valve body 62 and intersecting thebore 64 is a rotatable valve member 66 having a transverse bore 68therethrough, the valve member 66 being rotatable to a position suchthat the valve member bore 68 registers with the valve body bore 64 toeffect discharge of water from the water wheel casing 42. The valvemember 66 is manually operable by means of a handle 70 which is mountedexternally of housing 30 and is connected to the valve member 66 by arotatable connecting rod 72.

Pinned to the hub 48 of the water wheel 46 is a verti cally extendingdrive shaft 74 that is operatively connected to drive a rotatable basket76 that is provided to hold the soiled diaper. The basket 76 has adownwardly extending driven shaft 78 that is received and rotatablyguided in a bushing 80 which is mounted on the water wheel casing 42 byradially spaced upstanding supporting members 82. At the upper endsthereof, the supporting members 82 may be welded or be otherwisesuitably secured to the upper end of the bushing 80. The uprightsupporting members 82 are rigidly connected together by a horizontalplate 84 having a centrally located hole that receives the lower end ofthe bushing 80. The bushing 80 may be press fitted or otherwise suitablysecured in and to the plate 84. The driven shaft 78 and drive shaft 74are connected together by readily separable coupling components, such asa pin and slot connection 86 which driving connection allows for readilyremoving the basket 76 by merely lifting it upwardly.

The basket 76 is a wire structure including horizontally spaced apartwire hoops 88 welded to upright partions 90 of radially spaced wirestrands 92. The wire strands at the bottom of the basket are bentinwardly and then upwardly forming an inverted cone-like structure. Attheir upper ends, the strands that form the cone-like structure arepreferably welded to the upper end of the driven shaft 78 in an annularrecess provided in the shaft 78 adjacent the upper end thereof. Thecoupling pin 86 and cooperating slots in shaft 78 support the basket andare located to provide a proper clearance between the cone-likestructure of the basket and the supporting members 82.

Communicating with the interior of the water wheel casing 42 are anumber of pipes 94 which are provided to direct water jets to effect therinsing of a diaper in basket 74. The pipes 94 extend upwardly from thewater wheel casing between the outer side of the basket and side wall ofhousing 30 and above the basket, the pipes 94 have inwardly anddownwardly directed discharge ends arranged to discharge the water atthe conelike structure on which the diaper will be draped.

In operation, assuming that a soiled diaper has been placed in thebasket 76 and that the valve member is in open position, when the waterfaucet 26 is turned on, there will be sufficient pressure in the waterwheel casing to discharge jets of water from the upper ends of the pipes94 onto the diaper for rinsing purposes. After an interval of therinsing operation, the valve member 66 is closed by turning the handle70 and the closing of the outlet valve causes an increase in waterpressure in the casing 42 to substantially stop the faucet pressurewhich is sufficient to drive the water wheel 46.

The rotating water wheel 46 through coupling 86 rotates the basket 76which spins at a sufiiciently high rate of speed such that excess wateris thrown off of the diaper bycentrifugal force during which time thewater and soil is continuously draining into the toilet bowl.

' From the foregoing description, it will now be appreciated that wehave provided a portable rinse device of a character for seating on atoilet bowl and adapted particularly for the rinsing of diapers. It willfurther be appreciated that we have provided a diaper rinse device of acharacter such that water sprays for rinsing purposes lead from thecasing of a water wheel which under the control of a valve is operableto spin a diaper-containing basket to throw off excess water. Inaddition, we have provided a rinse device of improved construction inwhich the rotatable diaper basket is mounted on the casing of the waterwheel that rotates the basket.

While we have shown and described the invention in considerable detailit will be understood that many variations of the invention may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the claims.

We claim:

1. A diaper rinse device comprising, a housing having a lower enddischarge surrounded by an annular seat adapted to seat on the flange ofa toilet bowl, a casing mounted on and within said housing having aninlet for connection to a water faucet and an outlet in communicationwith said discharge, a water-driven Wheel rotatable within said casing,a rotatable basket mounted within said housing to receive -a"soileddiaper and operatively connected to said Water wheel, conduit meansleading from said casing and arranged to direct streams of water downinto said basket, said outlet having a fiow capacity sufficient toreduce the pressure in said casing to a pressure insufiicient to drivesaid water wheel, and a valve operable to close said outlet to effectrotation of said water wheel. "2.- A'diaper rinse device comprising, ahousing having an upper access opening and a lower discharge, an annularseat on said housing around said discharge to seat on the flange of atoilet bowl, a casing mounted within said housing above said discharge,said casing having a water inlet for connection to a faucet and anoutlet in communication with said discharge, a water wheel within saidcasing operableby the faucet pressure and having an upstanding drivenshaft projectingfrom said casing, a wire basket to receive thediaper'and mounted on and attached to the upper end of said shaft,conduits leading from said casing to direct water into said basket, anda valve controlling said outlet and operable to control operation ofsaid water wheel by changing the pressurewithinsaid casing.

3. A diaper rinse device comprising, a housing having an upper accessopening and a lower discharge, an annular seat around said discharge toseat on the flange of a toilet bowl, a casing mounted 'on and withinsaid housing, said casing having a water inlet for connection to apressurized water source and having an outlet discharging downwardly incommunication with said discharge, a water wheel within said casing,said water wheel having its axis of rotation vertically disposed andhaving a vertically extending driven shaft projecting from said casing,a bushing spaced above said casing and the upper end of said drivenshaft, a wire basket having a shaft rotatably received in said bushingand drivingly connected to said driven shaft, a plurality of radiallyspaced brackets mounted on said casing and supporting said bushing, aplurality of conduits leading upwardly from said'casing and havingoutlets to direct water downwardly into said basket, and a valvecontrolling said outlet.

4. A diaper rinse device comprising, ahousing having an upper accessopening and a lower discharge, an annular seat around said discharge toseat on the flange of a toilet bowl, a casing mounted on and within saidhousing, said casing having a water inlet for connection to a faucet andhaving an outlet in communication with said discharge, a water wheelwithin said casing and rotatable about a vertical axis, a vertical shaftcarried by and concentric with the axis of said water wheel, a bushingmounted on said casing above the upper end of said shaft and axiallyaligned therewith, a Wire basket within said housing having a verticalshaft received in said bushing and coupled to said first shaft, aplurality of conduits'in communication with the interior of said casingandextending upwardly having outlet ends to direct water down intosaid'basket, a valve connected to the outlet of said casing controllingthe pressure therein, said'valve operably to effect a water pressure insaid casing to drive said water wheel, and means operable externally ofsaid housing to operate said valve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,590,002 Vieau June 22, 1926 1,968,658 Stoddard July 31, 1934 2,230,382Lutzke Feb. 4, 1941 2,348,102 Baker May 2, 1944 2,697,341 Thomas Dec.21, 1954 2,735,286 Sperry Feb. 21, 1956

